Cuckold
by Camouflage
Summary: God, Gwen I’ve given you everything! All that I have to offer is yours, my kingdom … my love … my trust. I couldn’t show you how much I care for you anymore if I tried. And you … you ...
1. Prologue

Hey! So this is my first Merlin fanfiction. I LOVE the story of King Arthur, and for those of you who love it just as much as I do, I'm sure you'll realize what the title means and what's in store for the characters ;)

Anyway, I unfortunately own nothing, though if I could buy Bradley James I certainly would.

Obviously, this is a prologue! I would definitely like to continue the story, and I probably will, but if you want me to keep posting it, please review! Enjoy!

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Some people are born the way they will stay for the rest of their lives. They have no chance at something better than what was been fated them. In fact, _most_ people are born that way. But then, there are a few very special cases that get to something better than what was prescribed at birth. There are a few people who get more than they ever could have imagined.

Guinevere, or Queen Guinevere as she was referred to now, was one of those cases. Of _very_ humble origins, this servant girl had shot beyond her lot in life. Very far beyond, indeed. To her, this didn't seem like anything strange. She truly believed that people should be judged on their merit. The privileges given to one at birth make no difference whatsoever; it is what they do with those privileges that count.

Queen Guinevere had little to no privileges with which she was born, and now she enjoyed complete and total freedom to do whatever she wanted to do, seeing as she was no longer a servant but a queen. However, she still did her best to not abuse her new privileges, and new they were. She and Arthur had not even been married a week, but she was _definitely_ getting used to the royal treatment.

"Is there anything else I can get for you, ma'am?" her maid asked her after her breakfast had been laid before her.

"No, Eira. That will be all, thank you," Guinevere answered. Eira made a small curtsy and then walked towards the door. As she opened it, Morgana stepped in, uninvited, of course. She and Guinevere remained friends after she stopped being her maid.

"I'm glad that _you_ seem to have found a competent servant," Morgana remarked as she sat down across from Guinevere.

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked as she began to eat.

"Well, my new girl had me waiting for about a half hour this morning before she came in with my breakfast," Morgana answered. "And now I don't know _where_ she is. She reminds me a little of Merlin when he first came to work here, only she is not as competent as he was." Both women laughed slightly. "Anyway, I suppose that I will just have to find another one."

"You should give her a chance, Morgana," Gwen disagreed. "She's new to the castle, and she's most likely extremely nervous. Give her a chance to get used to things!"

"If you say so, Gwen," Morgana responded as she looked around the room. This was not the chamber that Guinevere shared with Arthur; Morgana knew that she wasn't allowed to go in there. No, there were Gwen's own private chambers, where _even Arthur_ was not allowed to enter uninvited. "I don't think anyone will compare to you, though."

"As much as I enjoyed working for you, Morgana, I don't think so," Gwen responded, still smiling.

"Oh, well. Worth a shot, wasn't it?" They both laughed again as Morgana stood up. "I guess that you are right, I'll see if I can give this new girl more chances. But there are limits to my patience, you know."

"Oh, I know," Gwen agreed. She knew first hand all about Morgana's 'patience'.

"Until later, then," Morgana bid her friend good-bye as she walked towards the door. "If I'm able to make it until then." Gwen shook her head. Morgana really did miss her, and it was quite obvious. Of course, Morgana had yet to realize that she hadn't gone anywhere at all, but in time she would. Until then, Gwen was quite positive that she would have to listen to more complaints about incompetent serving girls. But, unlike her former mistress, Guinevere _was_ very patient.

There was a knock at her door, and Gwen was pretty sure that she was never going to be left in peace again. Sighing, she bid her visitor to enter, but when she saw that it was Arthur, a genuine smile spread over her face. It was all still very unreal to her, that she was married to Arthur, that she was the queen of Camelot. Arthur was still especially hard to believe, though.

"Good morning," Arthur greeted as he walked inside. It was the first time that he had seen her awake today. He was a very new king, and he was constantly on his toes to make sure that the transition from one king to the next was as smooth as possible. All of his duties filled his day up quite well, so the only time he ever got to train was early in the morning before his new bride awoke, which was truly a shame. There was a window in their bedroom that faced the east, and when the early morning sun cast itself across her, giving her skin a golden glow, making her look like a gilded statue. At those moments, he wanted to freeze time and make it as still as she was. But alas, time moved on, and he was the king.

When he reached the table where she was sitting, he leaned over to kiss her on the forehead and then sat down in the seat that had just been vacated by Morgana. "I trust that your morning is going well?" he asked.

"It's only just started," Gwen reminded him. "I am not quite as motivated as you are. You were up before the sun was."

"Yes … well, things aren't going to change too much now that I'm king …" Arthur trailed off as he picked a piece of meat off of Gwen's plate and popped it into his mouth. "Well, aside from the obvious." With his clean hand, he grabbed one of Gwen's and she knew what he meant. For a moment, they both just smiled at each other, and then the spell was broken by a knock at the door.

"I swear, I am never going to get a second's peace anymore," Gwen sighed.

"That's the price to pay, I'm afraid," Arthur responded before bidding whoever was at the door to come in. It was a royal messenger, and he was carrying an envelope.

"For the queen, sire," he said. Arthur stood up and took the envelope from the man before closing the door with a murmured thank you. Arthur began to open the letter when Guinevere stopped him.

"I believe that he said it is a letter for me, _my lord_," Gwen reminded Arthur. Arthur, who did not like for her to call him that unless they were in public, narrowed his eyes at her momentarily, and then continued to open the letter. "You're right," she said as she stood up to snatch the letter from his hand, "things won't change now that you're king."

"I'm a man of my word," Arthur reminded her, not bothering to hide his curiosity. Guinevere never got mail from outside of the castle. "What is it?"

"If you would give me a second to read it, I would tell you," Guinevere answered. "It's from my cousin, Rhiannon. You'll remember her from he wedding?"

"No," Arthur answered honestly. "Well, what does she want?"

_Dearest Cousin (Or should I say Your Majesty),_

_I hope that this letter finds you well. Of course it has not been long since we saw you last. Everything here is much the same as it has been, that is, poorly. Father would be very upset if he knew that I was writing you to tell you this, but I feel the need. I shall skip the pleasantries, as I know that you are probably a very busy woman and I do not want to waste your time._

_Life here is becoming rather stressful, and I fear that I am becoming a burden on my parents, seeing as they cannot seem to locate a candidate for marriage who does not utterly repulse me. I cannot help but feel guilty about the strain that I am putting upon them financially, so I was hoping that a place might be found for me in Camelot, perhaps working in the castle. I don't want you to think that I am using you, in fact I am rather embarrassed that I need to ask for your help, but I feel that my pride has gotten in the way quite enough._

_I'm a good worker, with a fair amount of skill at cooking and much more at regular household chores. I promise that I would not do anything to make you regret granting me this request if you should see fit to help me._

_My Highest Regards,_

_Rhiannon_

"Seems like a reasonable request," said Arthur, willing to believe that if she was related to Gwen, then she most likely _was_ what she said she was. "I'm sure that some place could be found for her."

"I didn't know that they were having so much trouble," Gwen thought out loud.

"Well, I for one am surprised," Arthur stated. "When you said it was your cousin, I figured that she was writing to ask for money. I'll have Merlin find out if there are any positions that need filling."

"No need," said Gwen, "I already have an idea for her." Perhaps Morgana could use a new maid, after all.


	2. Lancelot

"I thought that you told me I should give my new maid a chance," Morgana reminded Guinevere when the queen informed her that she would have a new maid, after all. Of course, she didn't _really_ mind that she would be replacing her current servant, but she _was_ curious as to why Gwen had changed her mind about it.

"Yes, well, that was before I received a letter from my cousin asking for a position in the castle," Gwen answered. "She needs my help, you need a new maid. Obviously this is meant to be."

"Whatever you say, _your majesty_," Morgana responded in a slightly mocking tone, but only because, like Arthur, Gwen despised when her friends used that title in private. She was still the same Guinevere, it was just that now she happened to be a queen as well. "How long do I have to wait for this girl to arrive?"

"I just sent out a response to her letter along with a few escorts to make sure she reaches Camelot safely. She _should_ be here within the week."

"Ugh. She can't get here soon enough," Morgana responded. The two of them were walking through the castle, heading towards the reception hall, where once a week, Arthur would listen to the complaints and problems of whatever subjects could muster up the courage to bring them before him. As word of his benevolence and fairness towards his subjects spread, more and more people started coming, so it was starting to take longer and longer. And apparently, the kingdom was in the midst of a slight drought, which was obviously starting to cause some tension.

Guinevere hadn't been attending these things, but she figured that now she was queen, it was high time she did. For one, she wanted to be there to support Arthur, and for another, she had to show that she was going to be just as good a queen as Arthur was a king. It wasn't hard to tell that the people had a few misgivings about a simple servant girl becoming the queen of their kingdom.

As she entered, Gwen could tell that Arthur was annoyed. Of course, not many _other_ people could see this, as he had become extremely adept at hiding his emotions when he needed to, but Guinevere knew him better than anyone, besides perhaps Merlin. She could tell when he was not happy about something.

As the man kneeling in front of him spoke, Arthur stood up and interrupted him, addressing the entire hall in the process.

"Are you _all_ here to ask for food?" He asked, and he genuinely wanted to know, this was not sarcasm. No one spoke to the contrary, and he sighed. Obviously this problem was worse than he thought, but at least this time wasn't like the last. It wasn't _him_ who had brought this upon Camelot. For another, they were much better prepared to handle it.

He gave the order that all of the people present were to go with the guards and receive a ration of grain, but that this would be the only time. He knew that it couldn't be that bad if there wasn't a major outcry in the city. Perhaps these farmers were just being greedy, but even so, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Everyone exited the hall. Everyone, that is, except for one man, who had been standing very close to the end of the line. He was a man that both Arthur and Guinevere knew personally, and they both spotted him at the same time.

"Lancelot," Guinevere said breathlessly. Arthur cut a glance to his wife before looking back at the tall, dark man who was now approaching the front of the hall. The look on his face was not nearly as pleased as Gwen's. Immediately, he was wary.

"My lord," Lancelot greeted as he stood in front of Arthur, offering a very deep bow as he spoke. "Thank you for receiving me."

"All subjects are welcome to say what they need to before me," Arthur assured him, wanting to let him know that this was not a special privilege and that he was treating him the same as he would any of his people. "So, say what you came here to say."

"Of course, my lord, I will get right to the point," Lancelot stated as he stood up straight and took a deep breath. "I was extremely sorry to hear about the death of your father."

"I'm sure that you were," Arthur responded tersely, causing Gwen to give him a warning look.

"And I also wanted to offer my congratulations to you and your beautiful wife on your recent marriage-"

"I thought that you were going to get straight to the point," Arthur interrupted him, trying his hardest to not sound like he _really_ did not want Lancelot to even be in Camelot, let alone standing before him … and Gwen.

"Right, you are a busy man," Lancelot agreed. Once again, he took another breath. It was easy to tell that he was nervous. He brought his hands together and started wringing them as if he could squeeze a few more drops of courage from them. The room suddenly felt much colder than it had before, and he looked around at the smooth stone walls, and then at the smooth stone floor beneath his feet. He wished that he could just melt into it. Perhaps he shouldn't have come, after all. "Last time I was here … well, I'm sure you remember what happened last time I was here."

"I do," Arthur said coldly. Guinevere was extremely surprised by this behavior. _She_ remembered what happened last time Lancelot was there as well, and Arthur had definitely been on his side during his brush with the king. Not to mention, when she had been kidnapped, Lancelot had been instrumental in saving her life. Why was he acting this way? "What about it?"

"Well, as I recall, my lord, you were rather … in favor of my becoming a knight."

"What of it?"

"I was hoping that you were still in favor of it," Lancelot blurted, and then sighed deeply, relieved that he had managed to get it out. He hated to come here and _ask_ Arthur for a position amongst his knights, but he really didn't see how else he would get it done. With Uther dead, now was his time. He could _finally_ become a knight of Camelot, like he had dreamed his entire life.

At least, that was what he had thought, but the look on Arthur's face made him feel a little less confident in the realization of his dreams.

Arthur was battling with himself, his jaw clenched, the muscles of his mouth working hard to keep his expression from turning into a sneer. As calmly and as evenly as he could, he said, "No."

"Oh …" Lancelot trailed off, unable to think of anything to say in addition to that. His answer had been too definitive for any kind of rebuttal. But there was _one_ question he could ask. "What changed your mind, my lord?"

"I don't need a reason to change my mind," Arthur answered. At this point, the door to the hall opened and Merlin entered. He usually came about this time, as the weekly ritual was usually finished by this time, and Arthur would have a few requests for him. However, when he found that not only was the king not finished, but that Lancelot was there as well, he immediately grew a little wary. As he approached, the tension was easy to feel, and it was _all_ emanating from Arthur. "The laws have been as they are for hundreds of years, I am not going to change them now."

Gwen's eyebrows knit together as she looked at her husband with open-mouthed disgust.

"Arthur!" she exclaimed. "What are you _saying_? What was all that you said about being able to prove yourself and status of birth not mattering as long as-?"

"Enough, _Guinevere_," Arthur silenced her sharply, obviously displeased by the use of his first name in such a public setting. "My word is-"

"Your _word_ apparently changes at will," Guinevere remarked in disgust. "Lancelot has proven himself worthy of knighthood more than enough! Why is your stance different now that you are king?"

"I do _not_ need to explain myself to you, woman!" Arthur snapped as he turned to his wife. "Now you will hold your tongue." Guinevere stared up at him for a few moments with a positively murderous look on her face, turned on her heel, and stormed from the hall, followed closely by Morgana.

Arthur watched her flight, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He had never snapped at her like that before. It was actually one of the things that he swore he would never do, and suddenly he realized that he was being foolish. He couldn't let his dislike – his fear – of Lancelot keep him from the position he deserved.

Lancelot was still standing in front of him awkwardly, obviously wishing to be dismissed. As Arthur looked back at him, he sighed.

"All right," he finally said, "you can have your chance at knighthood, but you will have to prove yourself once more. It would not be fair to the rest of the men in training if I let you surpass them just because you asked it of me."

"Of course, my lord," Lancelot agreed, excitement and hope returning to his voice. "I would not dream of receiving any special treatment. I would be honored for the chance to prove myself to you."

"Yes, I'm sure that you would be," Arthur sighed. "Training starts at sunrise, do not be late. You remember where to go?"

"Yes, your majesty," said Lancelot as he bowed once more. "Thank you so much for this."

"You're welcome," Arthur answered as he made his way to leave. "Now, if you'll excuse me …" As Arthur made to exit the hall, he passed by Merlin, who fell into step beside him.

"Well, that went well," Merlin observed.

"Shut up, Merlin," was Arthur's reply. He had said this particular phrase so much that it was starting to become a reflex. "I have to go and find Guinevere."

"That's probably a good idea," Merlin agreed. "I'm sure that once you apologize, she won't be _too_ angry with you."

"I don't plan on _apologizing_, Merlin," Arthur told his servant. "Or at least not for shouting at her. That she deserved."

"You really think-" Merlin began, but when Arthur gave him his best death look, he immediately closed his mouth. There was a time and a place to voice his opinions to Arthur, and now was not one of those times. The king was on edge, and it was definitely the arrival of Lancelot that had pushed him there. "What _are_ you going to apologize for, then?"

"For not immediately letting Lancelot have another chance at knighthood," Arthur answered. "I can't let his … history with Guinevere get in the way of his achieving what he deserves."

"Very mature of you," Merlin observed.

"Well, I _am_ the king, now, Merlin," Arthur reminded him. "Maturity is one of the requirements." The two of them were moving very quickly through the corridors. Arthur wasn't exactly sure where to look for Gwen, but he figured that her private chambers were a good place to start. He wanted to reach her as quickly as possible, for he knew that if she had a chance to stew, his apology would not be very well received.

Upon reaching her door, he respectfully knocked, and was happy to get an answer, even though it was not a very pleasant one.

"If that is my pig-headed, arrogant husband, I have no desire to speak to him," came Gwen's voice from within. Arthur, of course, did not wait for the door to be opened, but turned the knob himself and walked in. Before Merlin could enter, Arthur shut the door in his face. Obviously, he wanted privacy. However, Merlin was content to listen at the door. After all, someone had to make sure this didn't end in disaster. When two wills like those went against each other, it was bound to get messy.

"I said that I have no desire to speak to you," Guinevere stated. She was standing at the window, and did not turn around to look at Arthur.

"So?"

"Of course, you do what you want," Gwen answered. "Well, say what you have come here to say."

"Are you going to look at me?" Arthur asked calmly. For a moment, he thought that he wasn't going to get a response, but then Gwen slowly turned and looked at him. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest and her lips were pursed together. Before him was not a happy woman. He figured that he would start off with softening her up.

"I apologize for not immediately granting Lancelot's request," Arthur stated. "I know that he is a good fighter and worthy of the title he seeks."

Surprised, Gwen's mouth dropped open, but only for a moment. She quickly gathered herself and said, "As you should be, my lord. You reminded me very much of the traits you so disliked in your father. I was extremely disappointed."

"That is fair enough," Arthur conceded. "Now, with that matter settled, there is the issue of _your_ behavior in the hall."

"_My_ behavior?" Gwen demanded, her former anger returning. "And just what was wrong with _my_ behavior?"

"Well, for starters, you addressed me by my first name in a public setting," he reminded his wife. "For another, you openly defied me in the same public setting."

"If you are expecting an apology from me, I'm afraid that you are going to be disappointed," Gwen stated. "I will not say that I am sorry for telling you that you were being-"

"Will you calm down and let me speak?" Arthur interrupted. "You've _really _done quite enough of that already. I think that it is time I set a few guidelines."

"Guidelines for what?"

"I know that during this marriage, I am going to do things that you do not necessarily agree with," he began.

"You've already done that."

"Guinevere …" Arthur said warningly.

"I'm sorry. Go on."

"Anyway, there have to be some rules in your process of objection," he began. He stepped towards her and took her hand, kissing it gently. The action surprised Guinevere, but she resolved that she would not be moved until Arthur saw reason and apologized for shouting at her. "Gwen, my love, you _know_ that I value your opinion and counsel. You are a strong, intelligent, and wise woman. I could not imagine being king without you supporting and guiding me."

"Oh …" Gwen said meekly.

"That being said, you _must not_ openly defy me in front of my subjects. Any complaints you have, I will listen to and consider in private, but in public, you must keep your thoughts to yourself. I know that this will be hard for you, as you are used to speaking your mind. But, I need my people to respect me, and they will not do that if I allow myself to be bullied by my wife in front of them."

When he put it that way, it _did_ sound like a very reasonable request. Sometimes she forgot that she was no longer just Arthur's friend, but his wife and partner in ruling Camelot.

"Fine. I'm sorry that I defied you in public," Gwen told him. "I will not do it again."

"Good."

"Can I ask you one question, though?"

"Anything," Arthur answered as he kissed his wife's hand once more, and then started advancing up her arm.

"Why did you say no in the first place?" she demanded. "You fought so hard against your father to try and get him to allow Lancelot to be a knight. Why such a drastic change of heart? I mean, the man _saved my life_, for goodness' sake."

"_I _saved your life," Arthur reminded her. "In fact, as I remember correctly, when I showed up, you were both about to be eaten by a giant baby rat."

"Well, he was _certainly_ a great help to you when you got there," Gwen reminded him.

"Look, we will agree that I was foolish to say no in the first place, let us just leave it at that," Arthur said with such finality that Gwen could not inquire further, which was a relief to Arthur. He could not tell her the real reason why he wanted Lancelot as far away from him – as far away from _her_ – as possible; that he feared whatever feelings Gwen might still have for the man. Just the thought of what those might be caused his stomach to twist into knots.

For she was _his_ now, and he wasn't about to let anyone change that.


	3. Morgana

"Morgana, something is definitely going on with you," said Guinevere. "You are not usually like this." Morgana was becoming impatient. Right now she was just _looking_ for excuses to complain about her maid. This was surprising because Morgana was usually much more accepting than that. There had to be something more to this displeasure than simple incompetence on the maid's part.

"There is _nothing_ going on with me," Morgana assured her friend. In a rare moment of calm, the two of them had decided to take a turn in the palace herb gardens. When Merlin heard they were going there, he gave Gwen a list of things that Gaius needed, and she was only too happy to gather them for him. Though she did not tell anyone this, she really missed being of use. She hardly had to lift a finger anymore. If she so chose, she didn't even have to feed herself. Doubtless her maid would spoon food into her mouth without even thinking twice of the request.

"I think I know what the problem is," Gwen stated, but did not elaborate. She didn't want to push Morgana. After all, if she was correct, she was having a hard enough time as it was. Better to let her come to terms with it. Morgana sighed. Gwen had never been one to miss things.

"Are you really going to make me say it?" Morgana asked.

"No," Gwen answered, "but you're being silly. I haven't gone anywhere."

"It will just take some getting used to," Morgana replied. "I'm hoping that your cousin might bring me some comfort. I need a real replacement."

"Well, I've been told that we look alike," said Gwen with a smirk as she looked at the list. She didn't really have much knowledge of plants, but everything was clearly labeled, so she figured it wouldn't be _that_ hard to find what she is looking for. She had no idea how expansive the gardens were. This could take much longer than she had anticipated. "But aside from that I don't really know her very well. She doesn't live near. I've only seen her a handful of times in my life."

"But she was at the wedding, wasn't she?" Morgana asked.

"Well … yes," Gwen answered.

"But your focus at your wedding was not on reconnecting with your cousin," Morgana finished. "Of course. You cannot be blamed, I do not even remember seeing her."

"Well, there is one thing I _do_ recall about her, and that was she doesn't usually make her presence known," Guinevere remembered as she spotted one of the herbs she was meant to be collecting and plucked a few from the stem. "She prefers to … blend in and watch. Of course, this might have changed …"

"I guess that we'll see when she gets here," Morgana stated. As she watched Gwen pluck some leaves from their stems, she asked, "So, what did Arthur say to you?"

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked.

"Are you telling me that he did nothing about your little show of defiance in the hall this morning?" Morgana asked. "Which was rather well done, by the way. I wish I had started talking before you had."

"Oh, that," Gwen murmured. "We had … words."

"Well that much I already know for sure," Morgana said in frustration. "But I want to know the exact _nature_ of these words. I hope that you put him in his place."

"Oh, he didn't need me for that," Gwen assured Morgana. "He realized his error."

"Yes, but only after _you_ pointed it out!" Morgana was becoming increasingly more excited now that Gwen had started talking. Of course, she loved and respected Arthur, but she knew as well as anyone that he could be pompous at times, to say the least. Whenever she could, Morgana would do her part to try and keep him in check, but she knew that Gwen had a very special relationship to him, now, and if anyone was going to rid Arthur of his … whatever it was, it would be her. "Now, what did he say to you when he came to find you? And more importantly, what did you say in response?"

"I think that you are going to be disappointed in me, Morgana," Gwen answered, "because I did not say anything further to him."

"Oh! So you ignored him! That is just as good."

"No, I did not ignore him," Gwen corrected. Morgana was silent for a moment, trying to make sense of this.

"Then you just … let him get away with it?" Morgana asked.

"No, I didn't do that, either. He came to me and made a very good point and I could no longer be angry with him." Morgana stared at Gwen for a moment, trying to process what she had just said, but she was obviously missing some key points.

"All right, you are going to have to explain this to me," said Morgana, "because when you left the hall, you were absolutely _livid_ with him."

"Well, I was, but he _did_ have a right to shout at me-"

"Enough of this dancing around the subject. Just tell me what he said, tell me what _you_ said, and then we can have done with it." Gwen sighed. If it were anyone else, she would tell them to keep their nose out of her and her husband's business. However, this was Morgana, and she would eventually find out anyway if Gwen didn't tell her, simply by sheer force of her will.

"Well, he came to me and at first I _tried_ to ignore him, but I have a really hard time doing that. So, he entered and then he told me that addressing him in such a rude manner so publicly was unacceptable and that he would not tolerate it-"

"Of course, that pompous-"

"And _then,_" Gwen continued forcefully, ignoring Morgana's interruption, "he continued to say that he loves me very much and values my opinion very highly, and if in the future I take issue with something that he has said or done, that I am to discuss it with him in private and he will consider it there."

"Or disregard it there," Morgana added. Gwen just shook her head. She knew that Morgana had more faith in Arthur than she let on. The two of them had always had something akin to sibling rivalry. In fact, the only thing that kept it from being a sibling rivalry was that they were not actually siblings. This was just her being critical of him as she always was, for she _did_ expect a lot from him.

"You didn't see the way he said it," Gwen told Morgana. "I believe him."

"I hope that your faith is well-placed," said Morgana.

"Morgana, he _is_ my husband," Gwen reminded her. "If I can't trust him, then there is something very wrong." Morgana could not deny this point. There was no doubting that the dynamic if the relationship between Arthur and Guinevere had change, and that Gwen's … allegiance, as it were, was no longer aligned with Morgana alone.

_This_ was one of the things with which Morgana was struggling. She did not want to say that she was bitter, and she wasn't feeling abandoned, for Gwen was standing right next to her as if nothing had changed. But Gwen had been hers, and, true to form, Arthur had taken exactly what he wanted with no regards as to how others might feel about it.

In time, Morgana knew that she would get over this childish feeling, but for now, she felt like she had a right to be unsettled. Being Uther Pendragon's ward had not made her very good at sharing, at least not with Arthur.

"You're right … if there is anyone you can trust to stand by his word, it is Arthur," Morgana conceded. Gwen nodded her agreement. Both of them were fully aware that if Arthur said that he would do something, it meant that he would, or he would at least try.

--------------

"Is there anything else that you need, my lady?" Carys, Morgana's servant, asked after she had set down Morgana's lunch before her.

"No, that will be all, Carys," Morgana answered with a sweet smile. "I have to say, you're getting a lot better at this."

"It just took some getting used to," Carys answered. "Is there anything else that you need me for, today? My mother needs me home a little early tonight."

"I hope that everything is all right," Morgana told her.

"Oh, yes, don't worry my lady, everything is fine," Carys assured Morgana. Morganan nodded as Carys bid her a good evening and stepped out of the room. She was actually starting to feel a little sorry. After all, she knew nothing about her maid, it was entirely possible that this job was her livelihood. She resolved to make sure that another position was obtained for her within the castle. Everything would be all right.

It had to be.

Morgana ate in silence, obviously because there was no one in the room with whom to converse. Gwen was "eating" with Arthur, and Merlin was preparing the King's gear for tomorrow, when he would ride to the outlying villages and make his first appearance there as King. It would probably be his last appearance there, as well, if he followed Uther's example at all.

But Morgana hoped that he wouldn't. It was high time that the king of Camelot started showing respect for his people.

Sighing, Morgana sat back in her chair and leaned her chin against her hand. Try as she might to think of other things, there was no getting away from the one thing that continued to hover her.

It was a feeling deep within her, something that she had never felt before, for she had always had many people around who loved her. However, with Uther gone, Arthur busy with his duties as king, making Merlin extremely busy as well, and Gwen still in the honeymoon stage of her marriage, it seemed that all of her friends had found themselves new places in their lives that didn't include her.

For the first time since her father died, Morgana felt completely alone.


	4. The End is Beginning

"Where _is_ he?" Arthur said to himself as he waited in his personal chambers. It was almost dawn, and Merlin was supposed to be there by now in order to help him prepare for the day. It was going to be a busy one. Arthur was going to ride to the outlying villages and make his first official appearance there as king. This was something of a tradition. It seemed that a ruler could be more effective when all of his subjects knew his face. Within the city, most people had seen him out and about, but he very rarely made appearances in the other villages.

So, it was obvious that this was quite an important event.

Yet, Merlin could not be bothered to be on time.

Needless to say, Arthur was a little annoyed. He could have spent a few extra minutes warm in bed with his wife. Instead he was standing here waiting.

Finally, Arthur could here quick, thudding footsteps approaching. He was running. Good. The door opened, and in walked Merlin, panting heavily.

"Where have you been?" Arthur demanded of his servant as he walked in and started helping him put on his gear, wordlessly. "Answer me, Merlin."

"I'm sorry I'm late," was all Merlin said in response.

"I'm sure that you are," Arthur assured him, "but that is not an answer to my question."

"I just slept late, sire," Merlin answered. As he said this, Arthur's eyes drifted to Merlin's neck, and he spotted some dark marks there. More than some, actually. It was covered with them, and his neckerchief was not doing very much to hide it, mostly because he had obviously been in a rush when he put it on, and it was hanging a little lower on his neck than usual.

"Slept late," Arthur repeated thoughtfully. "And what are those on your neck? Bug bites? Perhaps you should launder your bedding more thoroughly. You don't want to get the castle infested with bed bugs." Despite his tone, which was a bit reproachful, Arthur had an impish smirk on his face. He had not heard of any particular girl on whom Merlin had his eye. "Who is she?"

"No one, sire," Merlin answered as he held out Arthur's chainmail for him to slide over his head.

"Liar," Arthur accused before his head was even through the hole. "Do you really think I'm stupid? It looks like she tried to eat you, whoever she is." This time, Arthur knew that something was going on because Merlin cracked a small smile at this as well. "So tell me."

"I'm afraid that this is none of your business, sire," was Merlin's response.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked as Merlin helped him strap on his sword. "You're my servant. That makes your business my business."

"No, that makes _your_ business mine, Merlin corrected him. "You're not supposed to care about what is going on in my life."

"Ah, but you see, I'm a compassionate and caring king, Merlin," Arthur reminded him. "So you should talk to me. Please, unburden yourself."

"Today is a busy day for you, my lord," Merlin said as he opened his mouth wide for a jaw-cracking yawn. This only caused Arthur's grin to widen. He wondered just how much sleep his servant had gotten the night before, and what activities had taken the place of sleep. "I wouldn't want to trouble your mind."

"Don't be ridiculous, Merlin," Arthur said as he pulled on a pair of leather gloves. "I'm always happy to help you."

"You're all ready, sire," Merlin stated. "Shall we go, now? The knights will be waiting."

"They can wait a little longer," Arthur said with his arms crossed in front of his chest as he looked down his nose at Merlin. Well, as far down his nose as he _could_. Merlin did have about an inch on him.

Merlin sighed. Arthur really wanted to know.

"She's really no one, Arthur," Merlin answered, this time speaking as a friend rather than a servant. "If I told you her name, you wouldn't know who she was."

"For the sake of time, Merlin," Arthur began as he walked from his chamber, followed by his servant, "I am not going to try and force this out of you right now. But you _will_ tell me about it later."

"Yes, milord," Merlin agreed, hoping that Arthur would forget. "So, why isn't Guinevere coming?"

"What do you mean? She was never supposed to come," Arthur reminded him.

"Well, I know that," Merlin assured him. "But why? It seems that the people of Camelot should know their queen as well as their king." Arthur shrugged as they started descending the stairs into the courtyard. There, Arthur's knights were waiting for him, standing next to their mounts. One of them was holding Arthur's horse as well as his own, and when the king approached, the knight handed the reins over.

"It's just not the way it's done," Arthur stated as he swung himself into the saddle, prompting his knights to do the same. "I technically don't even have to do this. It's not a requirement, it's a tradition. A rather strenuous one at that. We're going to be gone until tomorrow. There's no need for her to subject herself to the ride, not to mention wherever we are going to sleep tonight What's more, _someone_ has to to stay here and take charge of Camelot in my absence."

This hadn't occurred to Merlin. He was so used to being able to leave with Arthur whenever they wanted, because Uther was always there to be the king. But now, Arthur was the king. Leaving Camelot on a whim was no longer an option.

"Do you think she can handle that?" Merlin asked.

"We'll only be gone for a day. Hopefully there won't be any major catastrophes between now and the time we return." By this time, Merlin had also situated himself in his saddle. "And if something _does_ happen … well I guess that she'll get a chance to prove herself."

"You have a lot of faith in her." Merlin observed, and Athur gave him a look that could best be described incredulous.

"Of _course_ I do," Arthur answered as his men started to make a formation around him. "Merlin, it's _Guinevere_. You've known her for quite a while. If anyone is capable of taking care of Camelot while I'm gone, it's Guinevere." Merlin nodded. He had to agree with that.

As they got farther and farther from the castle, Merlin turned in his saddle to look back at the retreating façade. This was his first trip out as the king's servant. Hopefully, there wouldn't be many, because hopefully, he wouldn't be a servant for much longer. Hopefully, soon Arthur would recognize Merlin as a trusted advisor and friend. And, in time, a warlock.

He wasn't sure that now was the time to let Arthur know about his magic. It still seemed that the young king did not completely disagree with his deceased father. It seemed that the persecution would stop, but acceptance was a long way away, let alone actually consorting with it.

He was just hoping that once the time _did_ come to let his secret out that Arthur wouldn't be angry at him for keeping it all this time. "So, where exactly are we going?" Merlin asked, thinking that it was best he wasn't left alone with his thoughts for too long. "We're not going to visit _all_ of the outlying villages, are we?"

"I wish that we could," Arthur answered. "But that would take more time than we have. We're going to stop in three places. The first will be Tomen, and then Ynys, which is where we will be spending the night in an inn, and then tomorrow morning we are going to go to Bron before heading back to Camelot. I figure that it's spread out enough where the villages in between can make their way to at least one of these places, should they wish to."

Merlin was about to ask Arthur what the time constraint was, but he was pretty sure that he already knew. Arthur didn't want to be away from Gwen for very long, he could tell. It was really rather heartwarming. Of course Merlin knew that Arthur had cared for Gwen for a very long time before they married, but now that they were married and he no longer had to hide his feelings for her, it was easy to see how devoted he was to her.

The ride to the first village was very uneventful. It only took about an hour or two, and by the time they reached Tomen, there was already a large group of people there waiting, hoping to get a glimpse of their new king.

"Are you nervous?" Merlin asked as they approached. Already they could hear the voice of the crowd raising. They had spotted the red of Camelot approaching, and they were buzzing like a hive of bees.

"About what?" Arthur asked, trying to make it seem like he was nonchalant. He was fooling everyone except for Merlin, who had been around Arthur for too long to not notice his little habits. When he was nervous, he clenched his jaw very tightly. Other than that, the rest of his body was completely relaxed.

"About what they'll think of you," Merlin answered.

"It doesn't matter what they think about me, Merlin," said Arthur as they stopped the horses. This had been planned; he did not want to talk down to his people, so they stopped the horses far enough away where they would have to walk towards the villagers, creating a sense of equality. Arthur swung down from the saddle, prompting everyone else to do the same. "I'm the only king they have."

Merlin did not say anything. He knew Arthur cared about what his subjects thought of him. If he didn't, he wouldn't be here right now. And it was a good thing that Merlin did not speak, because Athur might have hit him. He _was_ nervous. He didn't even know how to _greet_ these people. What was he supposed to say? 'Greetings, citizens of Albion. It is I, King Arthur'?

Only if he wanted to sound like an ass.

"Stop here," Arthur said to his knights and Merlin, which surprised everyone.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked.

"They're here to see me," he reminded them as he stopped with the group. "And it's me they will get. They don't need to speak with the whole group, and I don't want to seem pompous. If you all stand with me, it will send the wrong message." He looked to his knights. "Form a perimeter around the crowd. You're going to have to be extra diligent. Merlin, you'll be with me." Merlin cocked an eyebrow. "Don't look at me like that, Merlin. Just do as I say."

The knights all started moving in order to surround the crowd as Athur and Merlin made their way to the middle of it.

"Merlin, I don't know what to say," Arthur confided. Merlin's eyebrows raised, and Arthur told him to stop looking at him like that for the second time. "I've rehearsed this a thousand times in my head and each time I sound like a complete idiot."

"Maybe you should go in without a plan, then," Merlin suggested. "I know that's not your usual method, but perhaps it will do you some good this time. What would you want to hear if you were suddenly operating under a new ruler?"

"I don't know," Arthur answered honestly, "but I guess that we're about to find out."

oOo

It had actually gone extremely well. Merlin had watched proudly as Arthur had addressed his citizens not as their King, but as something more. It was as if he was their older brother, pledging to always watch over them and do what is best for them, no matter what the cost.

His speech was really very touching and reassuring, and had been met with raucous applause. Arthur could not leave the crowd immediately as everyone wanted the chance to come up and shake his hand and thank him for coming. Some even went so far as to wish him luck, which was a little annoying, but he took the wishes with a dignified half-smile.

When they were finally allowed to leave and they took to their horses, Arthur breathed a huge sigh of relief as his shoulders slumped. Merlin couldn't help but smile. It used to be that all he wanted was the approval of his father, but now that Uther was dead, he needed to find someone else to please, and it seemed that he had. Of course, wanting to please the people of his kingdom was not exactly reproachable.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Merlin asked.

"Only if you didn't look at how badly my hands were shaking," Arthur responded. "I don't think I have ever been more nervous." A thoughtful expression came over his face. Actually there had been one instance where he had been more nervous, and it was extremely recent. Right before he married Guinevere, his stomach had been in such a state that he had vomited. Twice.

At least this hadn't been that bad.

Slightly behind schedule due to the amount of well wishes he had to entertain after he spoke, Arthur decided that they would have to pick up the pace to Ynys. Even then, it would be another few hours or so.

No one spoke, mostly because Arthur was not talking, and as a general rule, if he didn't talk, no one did. That is, until they spotted another group of riders bearing the crest of Camelot on their surcoats coming in their direction.

"What's this?" Arthur thought out loud. "I don't remember sending anyone out."

"It looks like those are the riders Gwen sent to fetch her cousin," Merlin observed, and realization dawned on Arthur's face.

The two groups met, and the three men guarding the woman between them bowed to Arthur.

"My lord," greeted the one at the front, Sir Brynmor.

Arthur nodded his head in greeting, but didn't say anything. His eyes went to the girl in the middle of the triangle the knights were forming. Normally, he would not be so interested, but the resemblance that this girl bore to his wife was striking.

Her eyes were the same warm color brown, and her skin had the same glowing bronze tone. Upon looking closer, though, differences could be picked up. As a whole, this girl's facial features were not as sharp as Guinevere's, and in general smaller. Her almond-shaped eyes had a playful glint to them, and her small, elegantly sloped nose was slightly upturned at the end, and crinkled as she smiled nervously at Arthur, full lips retracting to display fairly straight, white teeth. Another aspect in which she differed from Guinevere was her hair, which was uncontained and wildly curly.

A few years younger than Guinevere, her face maintained a certain innocence, and yet there was a unique intelligence behind her eyes that suggested that she might be a little savvier than she let on. She would be underestimated at peril.

"My lord," she greeted as well as she bowed her head. It was awfully hard to greet a king properly while seated atop a horse.

"You must be Rhiannon," Arthur observed.

"Yes, sir," she affirmed. "Rhiannon Gravenor, at your service, sire."

"We're bringing her back to Camelot, sire," Sir Brynmor explained.

"I can see that," Arthur assured him as he looked at the girl. After he had told Guinevere that it was perfectly all right that the girl come and work for Morgana, he regretted acquiescing so hastily. After all, he did not know this girl at all, it was entirely possible that he _didn't_ want her working in the castle. He hadn't said anything because he didn't want to imply that he did not trust Guinevere's judgment, and it seemed that he was now being rewarded for his doing so. "You will join our party. We're on our way to Ynys."

Rhiannon fought to keep the smile on her face. They had been traveling for two days already, and Ynys was about four hours in the opposite direction. It was probably the _last_ place she wanted to go.

Of course, the knights who had been traveling with her had no objections to this. They would much rather travel with the king's party than escort a servant to Camelot.

"Let's move on, then," Arthur ordered as the party set off in motion once more. Rhiannon sighed. Of course it didn't matter what she thought about this. But, she didn't say anything as the king reined up next to her. She did glance at him, though.

Of course, she had seen him before at the wedding, and she remembered him being extremely attractive. Up close, she concluded that she had not been wrong to think so. In fact, up close she decided that he was magnificent. Gwen was a lucky girl, indeed. Not only was she now queen, but her husband was one of the more beautiful people that Rhiannon had ever seen.

Some people had all the luck, it seemed.

"I hope that you do not mind adding another day to your travel," Arthur informed her, more as a formality than actual concern for her comfort.

"Not at all, my lord," Rhiannon lied. "After all, it is my job to do as you say."

"Actually, your job will be to do as _Morgana_ says," Arthur corrected her. "But I suppose that I do trump her." Good, it seemed that she already knew her place.

"Who is Morgana?" Rhiannon asked.

"I guess that Guinevere did not explain this to you," Arthur observed. "Before she married me, Guinevere was a servant to my father's ward. She has been replaced, but apparently the replacement was not satisfactory."

Rhiannon's eyebrows shot up. This was much more than she had expected. She was quite ready to be a mere laundry maid, or at most work in the kitchens. Instead, she was going to be the personal servant of a noblewoman.

"You look surprised," Arthur observed. "I hope that this arrangement is agreeable to you." Really, Arthur didn't really care, but this was Guinevere's cousin, hence, she was family. He would at least pretend.

"Of course it is, sire!" Rhiannon assured him, doing her best to contain her excitement. "It is much more than expected. I am honored for the opportunity." Arthur nodded. This was a proper response. This was good. He could tell that he was at least going to be able to tolerate this girl, if not actually like her.

"I'm glad to hear of it," Arthur told her. "I'm sure that you will be more than pleased with the life that awaits you in Camelot.

Arthur did not know just how right he was.


	5. Rhiannon

So now we're FINALLY getting to the good stuff! I'm sorry that it has taken five chapters, but years of reading Diana Gabaldon books has made me a rather slow developer. Enjoy! I love comments, by the way! ANY comments. If you like it, let me know. If it sucks and you hate it, DEFINITELY let me know. Thanks!

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Merlin stood next to Rhiannon as the two of them watched Arthur deliver a similar speech to the people of Ynys. He kept looking at her from the corner of his eye. He had met her before; briefly at the wedding, but it had been just that; a brief meeting.

"Have you worked for him very long?" she asked so suddenly that Merlin actually flinched when she spoke.

"Er … yes," Merlin answered. "It's been a few years … about six, I guess."

"That's quite a long time," Rhiannon responded. "And do you actually enjoy it?"

"Arthur is a great man," Merlin ansered. "If you're wondering about how life in Camelot will suit you, I can assure you, Morgana is an equally wonderful person. She's very kind, caring-"

"She can't be _that_ great," Rhiannon observed, "seeing as I am coming to the castle to replace someone she deemed inadequate."

"You're _very_ lucky to have been given this position," Merlin said forcefully. He didn't like where she was going with that line of thought. There was no way he would tolerate anyone speaking ill of Morgana in front of him.

"Of course," Rhiannon said, unable to repress a s mile. She had accomplished what she had originally set out to do. Obviously, the royalty of Camelot were at least benevolent, if not actually lovable, employers. The vehemence with which Merlin defended Morgana was quite enough. "A simple 'yes, I like my job' would have sufficed, Merlin."

Rhiannon turned her gaze back to Arthur. It was very difficult to _not_ watch him. He carried himself the way a king should, and yet he spoke like no king _she_ had ever imagined. If it hadn't been for what he was wearing, he could have been one of them.

"I'm glad that our parties met like this," said Rhiannon, "this is a rather pleasant surprise. I didn't expect him to be so …"

"So what?" Merlin asked when Rhiannon hesitated.

"So … humble … and kind."

Merlin smiled proudly as he looked at Arthur. He liked to think that he had played a role in shaping the man that Arthur had become. Sure, it had taken six years, and he had to do it extremely inadvertently, but he had helped Arthur. Now he was king, and things were going to change in Albion.

"If there is one thing Arthur is _not,_ it is humble," said Merlin, "but he _is_ kind, at least to a certain degree. Of course, I wouldn't want to be his enemy."

"I think that I would agree with you there," Rhiannon assured him, her eyes taking on a different look as she continued to gaze at Arthur. "He is definitely not someone you would want to face across a battlefield." Merlin wondered at her strange choice of words, but still murmured his agreement as Arthur finished up his speech. "If you'll excuse me …"

He walked over to Arthur and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Very moving, sire," he complimented. Arthur nodded as his horse was brought to him, as was Merlin's. They had a very short ride to go to the inn that was just outside of the town, and Arthur was very eager to get there. He was very tired from the riding, and he was sure that his men were as well. The way he saw it, everyone in his party was deserving of a good rest.

"I have a job for you, Merlin," he said suddenly as the two of them mounted their horses, signaling everyone else to do the same. This wasn't very surprising to Merlin; Arthur always had a job for him to do. He _was_ after all, his servant.

"Of course, sire," Merlin answered.

"I need you to talk to Rhiannon," Arthur informed him. "Find out what she's like, if she's a good person … if she's the kind of person I want around Morgana … and Guinevere."

"You think she's not?" Merlin asked as he raised one eyebrow.

"I have no idea. That is why I want you to find out," he answered impatiently as he turned in his saddle to look at her. Arthur, as a rule, did not trust beautiful women that he didn't know. In his past, whenever an unfamiliar, beautiful woman arrived on the scene, it meant trouble for him. Had he been aware of what his wife's cousin looked like, he might not have been so willing to give her such an important position without meeting her first.

Perhaps he was being silly, but another rule Arthur had was to trust his gut, and right now it was telling him that he should be wary of this girl.

o0O0o

Being that there was a shortage of servants on this trip, Rhiannon was put right to work. When the party reached their destination for the evening, Merlin and Rhiannon were assigned the task of seeing to the horses. The inn had enough employees to make sure that the king and his knights were properly attended to, but not for their mounts.

As they were in the stables, feeding, watering, and basically checking to make sure the horses were all right after the long day's ride, Merlin noticed that Rhiannon knew her way around a horse and decided this was as good a topic for conversation as any.

"Did you have horses back home?" He asked as Rhiannon lifted the leg of Arthur's mount to check its shoes for any tell-tale signs of distress.

"Many," she answered. "Home was a farm. Horses were quite necessary." And that was it. Rhiannon did not seem very interested in talking to him, which surprised Merlin. Guinevere was always very friendly and willing to speak, no matter to whom or what about.

"Do you like them?" Merlin continued, deciding if she wasn't going to talk willingly then he was just going to have to make her. Arthur wanted to know what this girl was like, and it was his job to spread some light onto her character. As of right now, she seemed to be the unpleasant type, but earlier she had been talkative enough.

Perhaps she was just tired.

Rhiannon was not tired. She was thinking, and rather hard, too, and not about horses. She was thinking about Arthur. Something about him had really struck her today. She wasn't exactly sure what it was about him that had her so fixated; perhaps it was the way he carried himself, so tall and regal, perhaps it was his lack of excessive pride, perhaps it was just that he was very attractive, but she could not get her mind off of him.

"Hello?" Merlin's voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"Sorry?" she responded.

"I asked you if you were excited about your new position," Merlin answered. Rhiannon nodded emphatically. That was one thing she definitely _was_ excited about. She knew that she was only going to be a servant, but she knew that the personal servant of the king's adopted sister was afforded _some_ level of luxury in that she would be provided with clothes, food, a place to bathe, and a warm place to sleep.

"Now I have a question for you," Rhiannon stated.

"By all means," Merlin replied, gesturing for her to ask away.

"Why is the king staying _here_?" She asked as she made a wide, sweeping gesture with her arms. "It hardly seems fit for royalty."

"Well, it's far better than sleeping outside," Merlin answered with a shrug. Seeing Rhiannon's face, he knew exactly what question she was about to ask, and cut her off before she could get there. "And yes, he has done that more than enough to know what it is like." He picked up a brush and started brushing down Arthur's mount. "I think that he just wants to show his people that he does not consider himself too high above them. He wants to be a different king than his father was, and he's starting with showing humility."

o0O0o

It seemed as if the king was showing a little more than humility. Rhiannon looked on as he accepted drink after drink from the people who were sitting in the inn. Little by little, word had spread about where Arthur was spending the night, and those who were close enough took the opportunity to come and have a drink with the king.

His knights were having a rather difficult time with keeping an eye on things, but this didn't seem like the occasion where someone would be making an attempt on the young king's life. Even so, you could tell that Arthur was taking precautions. Not once did he take his back off the wall behind his chair. If anyone wanted to see him, they would have to come to him, and that is precisely what Rhiannon did.

"I trust that the horses have been seen to," Arthur stated, taking a sip of ale as she approached the table.

"Yes, and they are all in good shape for tomorrow," she assured him.

"In that case, have a seat," Arthur suggested, signaling one of his knights to have a chair brought over. He wasn't sure what Merlin would have to tell him later, but he figured that since he had a free moment, he would see for himself what Rhiannon was like.

"Thank you, sire," she murmured as the chair in question was produced and placed behind her. She sat next to Arthur instead of across from him, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable. Arthur realized the tension in her body, and couldn't help but grin. He could always tell when Guinevere was uncomfortable about something, for she would sit just like Rhiannon was now; back perfectly straight, hands folded in her lap, lips tight, expression guarded. It was a stark contrast to Arthur's relaxed position; one elbow was resting on the table so that he faced Rhiannon, his hand lightly encircling his mug. He bore his usual crooked smile as he spoke.

"Is there a problem?" he asked as he made another signal, and a cup was placed in front of Rhiannon, who filled it from the pitcher in the middle of the table. She tilted her head as she looked questioningly at Arthur, who only nodded and grinned as he sipped his own drink, gesturing that she should follow his example.

Hesitant, Rhiannon lifted the mug and brought it to her lips. She _was_ thirsty, after all. "No, sire, there isn't a problem." The ale was cool and soothed her throat, which was dry from breathing in the air of the stables. "Thank you for allowing me to join you."

The air of formality in such a casual setting was starting to make Arthur nervous. Perhaps it was the fact that he was king that was making her so reserved, but he felt that he needed to bring her out of her shell if he was going to learn anything about her.

"My wife is excited to see you," Arthur offered, just wanting to say anything. Rhiannon raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" she asked. "I'm glad. I was worried that she only allowed me to come out of pity."

"No, no, definitely not," Arthur assured her. "Guinevere … well … she's not like that. She's a far better person than I am."

"And you seem like quite a good person," said Rhiannon, grinning as she took another sip of ale, gazing at him over the rim of her mug. Arthur had to control himself, for when she did that she looked _exactly_ like Gwen. "So I can only imagine that my cousin is on the divine level."

Arthur nodded, unable to speak. He was completely overcome with the same breathlessness he felt whenever he looked at Guinevere. The problem was that this woman was not his wife, and he had to remember that. Of course, whenever she opened her mouth, it was easy to differentiate, but she seemed content to just look at him, with those scorching brown eyes, resting beneath inquisitively arched eyebrows. It was like she was just begging him to look back at her.

And so he had to look away, feeling oddly embarrassed.

While Arthur was feeling embarrassed, Rhiannon was feeling slightly triumphant. She was used to disconcerting men in this way; she was fully aware of how pretty, how alluring, she could be. But she never thought she could pull this trick on a _king_. _This_ was why she was grinning like a cat that had just had cream for its supper.

And it was that grin exactly that Arthur was happy to see. His Guinevere could never look so … so … mischievous. Suddenly he found himself missing her. He had managed to squash that particular emotion all day, but he realized that he was about to spend his first night apart from her since their wedding. He wasn't looking forward to it, especially with this girl roaming around. Even though he didn't know her at all, he wouldn't put it past her to crawl into his bed while he was sleeping.

The part that scared Arthur the most was he wasn't quite sure how he would react if he _did_ wake to find her in his bed. Quickly, he dismissed that thought as he chugged that last few sips of his ale.

"Divine," Arthur agreed once he had caught his breath, almost as if to remind himself. That was when he saw Merlin come in. He had never been happier to see anyone in his entire life. He summoned him over, and then looked towards Rhiannon. "If you don't mind, I need to speak with Merlin privately."

"Of course, my lord," Rhiannon stated as she picked up her mug of ale, curtsied, and then walked away, seemingly to find other forms of entertainment.

As Rhiannon left, Merlin arrived, and sat down.

"Thank _God_ you came in," said Arthur as he handed Merlin his mug. Without having to be told, Merlin filled the cup from the pitcher and handed it back to Arthur before pouring himself a cup.

"I take it that you have been speaking with Rhiannon," Merlin ventured.

"Yes," Arthur answered, refraining from telling his servant that it was one of the scariest things he had ever done. "Did she … unsettle you at all when you spoke with her?" He asked. 'Unsettled' was a bit of an understatement for the way Arthur was feeling, but he didn't want to betray that emotion to Merlin.

"She didn't really speak that much to _me_," Merlin answered. "I got the impression that she isn't very talkative." Merlin had known Arthur for far too long to not be able to notice when he was distressed, and right now, the king was just that. Or, if not distressed, at least, as he said, a little unsettled. "Why? What did she say to you?"

Arthur quickly went back through their conversation to try and remember exactly what she had said to make him feel thusly, but he couldn't come up with anything. "Nothing, really," he answered, slightly dazed. But it was true. She hadn't _said_ anything inappropriate or out of the ordinary. In fact, she had been very cordial.

It was those eyes.

He scanned the room to try and find her position, which was a mistake, because when he did, his eyes locked with those dark orbs once more, and this time, it took him a little longer to look away than he would have liked.

Too long, for he gave her the time to flash him one more grin. Just a smile, seemingly innocent. But those eyes. They were dangerous. He wondered what she could possibly be thinking about.

But if he knew, well, he wouldn't have smiled back. Because in her mind, Rhiannon was thinking about how badly she wanted him. Privately, she was marking him for conquest. This desire would not be denied.


	6. Within Castle Walls

The next morning, Merlin was given the job of going to wake Rhiannon so that they could begin the second half of their little trip. Without knocking or announcing himself, he entered the room that Arthur had procured for her. Before waking her up, though, he stopped to look at her.

She looked extremely peaceful in sleep, and even happy. A light smile tugged upwards on the corner of her mouth. She must have been having a very good dream. Merlin was almost sorry to interrupt it, but he had been up for a while already, and so should she have been.

"Rhiannon," he said in a normal tone, thinking that he at least wouldn't wake her rudely. However, she did not respond to this, so he called her name once more, this time a little more forcefully. When she wouldn't answer to that, he sighed and walked over to the bed, shaking her lightly.

This caused her to jerk awake and sit up straight in the bed. It took her a moment to gain her bearings, but when she set eyes on Merlin, she relaxed.

"Time to leave?" she asked.

"Almost," Merlin answered. "You'd better get up. Arthur doesn't really like it when people are late." Rhiannon nodded as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and then blinked in the bright morning sun. It was shining directly into her window, hinting that it had just risen. So much for sleep.

Perhaps she shouldn't have drunk as much as she had the night before. By no means had she been completely drunk, for she figured that would not have given a good impression to her new employer and object of her lust, but she hadn't been sober, either.

Merlin picked up on her hesitation to rise from the bed and grinned.

"Did you have a little too much last night?" He asked her. Rhiannon cocked an eyebrow as she looked sideways at him.

"And what if I did?" she asked.

"No need to get so defensive," Merlin answered as he started to back out of the room. "Just hurry up and get downstairs. I need your help getting the horses ready."

"Yes, yes, just get out," Rhiannon answered as she finally started to rise from the bed. Merlin had closed the door in time to keep himself from seeing her in her nightgown. Rhiannon stretched her arms over her head as she walked over to the window. It had been rather nice of Arthur to get her a room to herself. She had been prepared to sleep in the stables with the horses. She made a mental note to thank him when she saw him.

Quickly, Rhiannon dressed herself. She had a feeling that if Merlin had to come and fetch her again, he would not be as friendly as he had been before. She dressed in one of the two dresses that she had brought with her, the dress that she had worn the day before, and headed out of the room.

As she was walking towards the stables, Rhiannon decided that she really could not wait until they returned to Camelot. Doubtless, when she was Morgana's maid, seeing to the horses would be left to the male servants. It wasn't that she wasn't completely capable of doing this task, it was just that it was rather dirty, and she really wanted no part of it. As it was, it seemed that there was no choice. When she reached the stables, Merlin was already working, setting up the saddles on each horse.

"Took you long enough," Merlin stated as he heard her walk in. "Help me with these saddles, would you?"

"Still not ready, you two?" came a third voice from the entrance to the stables. Both servants turned their heads to see the king leaning against the doorway.

"We're working on it," Merlin answered testily in response to the king's teasing tone. He knew that he wasn't serious. However, Rhiannon was not privy to his mannerisms, and hustled to pull one of the saddles down from the wall. She had underestimated the thing's weight, though, and as she pulled it down, she went down with it. Unbalanced, she staggered forward and tripped over the saddle at her feet.

Both men laughed, but Merlin laughed a little harder than Arthur, who was just barely chuckling as he walked over towards Rhiannon and helped her up as she brushed the straw and dust from her skirt.

"What were you thinking, Merlin, making her lift the saddles?" Arthur asked. "They probably weigh about as much as she does." Merlin wanted to answer that he had assumed that Rhiannon wouldn't be useless in that department as yesterday she seemed to have an idea of what she was doing, but he didn't want to be mean.

Instead of waiting for an answer, Arthur picked up the saddle from the ground and handed it off to Merlin, who was a little surprised and almost stumbled forward himself, but managed to stay on his feet.

"I was just wondering what was taking so long," Arthur began, "but now I see it was just Merlin being lazy and trying to make a girl do his work." The king's tone was light as he spoke, so Merlin did not take him seriously. He just sighed and went about preparing the rest of the horses. As Merlin went back to work, Arthur turned to Rhiannon, who was still brushing stray pieces of hay from her skirt. "I trust that you slept well."

"Oh yes, thank you, sire," Rhiannon answered earnestly as she looked Arthur directly in the eyes. "It was very kind of you to-"

"Think nothing of it," Arthur cut her off, "I wouldn't leave a helpless woman to fend for herself while there were staggering amounts of intoxicated men around her. I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep an eye on you myself, so I figured it was best to give you a room with a lock."

"It was very kind of you," she repeated, letting the ghost of a smile linger about her lips as she gazed at him for a few more seconds before turning around and going around to all the horses to make sure that they each had everything they were supposed to. Arthur watched her as she checked to make sure that one of the saddles was firmly secured.

"Is there anything else you need, my lord?" Merlin asked, snapping Arthur out of it. When Arthur turned to Merlin, he was looking at him very strangely.

"No," Arthur answered succinctly, "I'll go and fetch the knights to let them know that everything is almost ready." Merlin nodded and watched until Arthur was gone, and then he turned to Rhiannon.

"We're going to need to hurry this up," Merlin stated. There were two more horses that needed to be saddled, and Rhiannon flicked a glance over them and then returned her gaze to Merlin.

"I guess you'd better see to those saddles, then," Rhiannon suggested. Merlin was about to come up with a sharp response to her when she walked over to the saddles and plucked one from the wall, easy as anything, and brought it over to one of the unsaddled horses, tossing it over the blanket. "I'm stronger than I look. I guess that will come in handy around these people. Arthur seems keen on making everyone do manual labor."

"It's just what he's used to," Merlin answered, not really liking the critical tone Rhiannon had acquired. "He does a lot of things that neither of us could even dream of being charged with." Rhiannon just nodded and didn't say anything. Her remark had done what she wanted it to do; she didn't want to seem like she was overly fond of Arthur. She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to capture him, but she knew that it would have to be done stealthily, and this would be much easier if everyone thought that she didn't like him.

People liked Guinevere. Including, obviously, Arthur. Separating the two of them was not going to be easy. The fact that Rhiannon was but a mere servant made no difference to her, as clearly Arthur had nothing against them. No, her only obstacle was going to be Gwen.

At least, that was what she thought.

)0(

They reached Camelot late that night, and everyone was extremely exhausted. However, rather than being allowed to trudge to the bed that she knew was waiting for her in the servants' quarters, it was her job to break down, brush, feed, and water the horses. Along with Merlin, of course.

Before they dismounted, Guinevere was waiting in the courtyard to greet her husband. Arthur practically threw himself from his horse and jogged over to her, where they shared a very warm embrace.

"It felt like forever," he murmured into her hair. "I don't like leaving you."

"Well, I don't like it when you leave," Guinevere assured him. "I trust that everything went well?"

"Great," Arthur assured her as the two of them linked arms and Arthur led her away from the courtyard, calling over his shoulder as he did so to have Merlin draw a bath in his bedroom, leaving the horses for Rhiannon. Two more servants approached to help her, but other than that, she was left alone in the courtyard. Guinevere hadn't even greeted her.

"So much for being excited to see me," she murmured to herself before she and the other servants started leading the horses towards the stables as Arthur and his wife continued walking in the other direction.

"I really think that the people are … pleased that I am king, now," Arthur was explaining to Guinevere. "They all greeted me warmly enough. Last night I was a little drunk … they kept buying me drinks and I was afraid they would be offended if I refused." Guinevere actually laughed at this. She had witnessed Arthur drunk, and she quite liked him that way, to be honest. She wished that she had been able to go along, but someone had to stay and take care of Camelot. "Was everything fine here?"

"Nothing to report," Guinevere assured him. "You were only gone for one night."

"That's plenty of time for some catastrophe to occur," Arthur assured her. They made the rest of their journey in silence and when they reached their bedchambers, Arthur was ecstatic to see that there was food waiting for him.

"I should have also asked for a bath to be drawn for you," said Guinevere. "It didn't occur to me that you might want one."

"That's all right. Merlin will see to it," Arthur assured her as he sat down and started eating. He was starving, and he figured by the time he was done eating, Merlin would have his bath ready. He watched Guinevere as she moved about the room, wondering what his chances were of getting her into the bath with him as well.

As he was pondering this, Merlin walked in, followed by a few other servants carrying buckets of water, and two carrying the large copper tub that Arthur used for bathing. They placed this in front of the fire that was burning very low, and started building it up so that they could boil the water they were carrying.

"So, Merlin, was this trip really as successful as Arthur says it was?" Gwen asked as she started helping the servants who were preparing Arthur's bath. All of the servants besides Merlin looked at her strangely. Arthur also raised his eyebrows.

"Guinevere, what are you doing?" He asked her as she carried a bucket of water to the fire and hung it on a hook so the water could warm. She looked down at her hands, a little puzzled.

"I don't know, I guess that it's just a reflex," she answered.

"Come sit," Arthur suggested as he pushed the chair from the table for her with his foot.

"I think it was a great success," Merlin finally started answering Guinevere's question. "The people seem to really like him. I think he might have set expectations pretty high, though. Not a good idea, seeing as-" Merlin did not get to finish what he was saying, as piece of bread bounce off the back of his head. He turned to see Arthur contentedly chewing and looking down at his plate, but it didn't take a genius to figure out who had thrown it. "Seeing as he is a complete prat."

"Ha. Ha," Arthur droned. "You really have gotten so much … cleverer since I took you on."

"I like to think that I have you to thank for that, sire," Merlin stated, maintaining a look of pure innocence on his face as he continued to go about preparing the bath. The water would take a little while to get warm enough, but in the meantime, he unwrapped the soap Arthur would use and placed it on the holder on the side of the tub.

"Along with many other things, Merlin," Arthur assured him. "You'd be lost without me." Merlin decided it would be best to not respond to that, and finished the preparations in relative silence. He was starting to feel the fatigue, and right now his mind was not up to the banter that he and Arthur usually shared.

When he was done drawing the bath, Merlin wished his master good night and bowed out of the room, leaving the king and his new wife alone together. Arthur stood and wrapped his arms around Guinevere's waist, grazing his lips against the tip of her ear as he bent to speak to her.

"Would you care to join me?" Guinevere leaned back and smiled up at her husband.

"I've already had mine," she told him as she steered him towards the tub. Arthur opened his mouth to protest, but Guinevere cut him off. "But I'd be more than willing to help you." This put a smile on Arthur's face, and he peeled off his dirty clothes, getting quickly into the water.

Guinevere pulled up a chair behind the tub, grabbed the soap, dipped her hands into the water, and started on Arthur's hair, kneading and massaging his scalp as he relaxed beneath her soft, yet firm, touch. The tense muscles of his shoulders softened as she moved down his neck to give attention to his broad, strong back. It never ceased to amaze Gwen how beautifully made he was.

Guinevere ministered the ablutions in silence for a few minutes, until suddenly she remembered something.

"There is _something_ that gave me a little trouble while you were away," she said softly. The muscles that she had finally gotten to completely relax suddenly tautened again as Arthur turned to look at her.

"What is it?" He asked a little anxiously.

"Rhiannon hasn't arrived yet," she answered. "She was due yesterday. I fear that something may have happened." Arthur sighed as he relaxed again. In his haste to get Guinevere to himself, he had forgotten all about Rhiannon. This was a bit of a comfort to him. It was good to know that she had no hold over him.

"Oh," he began as Guinevere hit a particularly sensitive spot in the middle of his shoulder blades and he melted beneath her hands. It took a little extra effort to say, "I met with her party yesterday and decided to bring her along with us. She was standing in the courtyard when you greeted me … I just forgot about her."

Arthur felt a smart rap on the top of his head. "Arthur! I've been worried sick!"

"Obviously not _too_ sick," Arthur assured her, "as you are just mentioning this to me, now."

"Well … I was happy to see you."

"And I you, my love," Arthur agreed as he kissed her soapy hand. "Your cousin is fine. You can see her tomorrow. Right now I need you here."

"She must think me incredibly rude and unfeeling," Guinevere thought out loud.

"Who cares?" Arthur asked. "She's a servant."

"She's _family_," Guinevere corrected. "And I hope that you were kind to her."

"Of course I was," Arthur sighed. He was bored with this conversation. "I even made sure that she had her own bedroom at the inn in which we slept. I promise that I did nothing you would not approve of. Could you get right in the middle again?" Gwen sighed as well. Clearly Arthur did not want to talk about this, and though she had considerable influence over the king, there were some thing that even _she_ could not force.

She would see Rhiannon tomorrow.


End file.
